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Month: January 2013

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! Here on my end things are busy as usual (if not busier!). I snagged a new listing in Maryland (I’ll blog about it soon!) and I’m up to my ears with all sorts of transactions left and right! It’s tiresome but challenging, and I’m happy to say that things are finally paying off! For the first time since I started as an agent at Keller Williams, I managed to get over 200 leads this month! What an awesome way to start the new year! I can’t be any more thankful and happy with this milestone. Now if only all 200 leads bought a home, I could go on vacation! Haha!

January seems to be my month! Here’s to breaking a new record soon, hopefully!

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you guys some good news that I read at AGBeat today. To everyone in the real estate industry and to those who are looking to buy or sell a home, 2013 looks to be our year! The housing sector was one of the biggest to be affected with the recent economic crisis, but lately studies have shown that house prices are finally rising again after two years. Finally! Real estate is strengthening again! With this news in mind, maybe potential home buyers and sellers can finally push through with their plans with less worries.

See that big dip right there? At least now the numbers are finally looking good! Hopefully this carries on for the rest of the year!

It’s almost the weekend again before we know it! Time can go by so fast real quickly! This week has been crazy hectic for me, but I just got two contracts ratified so that’s pretty awesome!

Anyway, dropping by for my weekly market insider update! This week it’s the lovely city of Winchester in Virginia! If you’re looking to move into this area, hopefully you’ll find this information when doing your home search.

The median list price in January for single family homes in Winchester is$199,450. The list prices dropped by-0.24% from the previous month. The price per square foot for listings in this area is $122. The median sale price in July for single family homes is $192,450. The sale prices increased by 30.69% from the previous month. The price per square foot for sales in this area is $96.

Median household income in 22601 is $45,785 with 776 households earning between $35,000 to $40,000 annually. Income levels are listed along the left side of the chart, and the number of households are displayed along the bottom.

The Crime Risk Index compares the likelihood of different crimes happening within this community to the national average. The national average for each type of crime equals a score of 100. A score of 200 would represent twice the risk as the national average, and a score of 50 would represent half the risk.

37

Median Age

35%

Married

10,991

Number of Homes

2,771

Homes with Children

The above data was gathered from multiple sources and includes current listings, recent sales, and more. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, the knowledge you gain will help put you in control of your real estate transactions.

If you’d like to read more statistics on the current housing market in Winchester, visit my website here. You can find more information on it such as local schools, a list of establishments (categorized and searchable by map), and you can even compare areas/neighborhoods according to zip code. It can really provide you with a thorough insight so you have a better idea of the community you want to move into.

It’s a snowy day here in West Virginia, so I hope you guys stay safe and warm this weekend!

Hi guys! Hope you had a great weekend! We’re well into the fourth week of January, but it’s never too late to add a few more resolutions! Why not make it a goal to make your home a bit more stylish this year? I read an interesting article on Yahoo! Homes via House Beautiful on how to make your home more hip and trendy this 2013!

This is the year to finally put your home decor ideas to action! Whether it’s a major renovation or just a few minor tweaks, don’t hesitate to research and experiment in order to figure out the best new look for your home! In order to achieve that, here are some tips:

Experiment with color. Neutrals are not a bad color, but adding splashes of tone here and there are not a bad thing. Try choosing accents in rich, saturated colors. Go bold with one outstanding piece of furniture, or keep it classic with patterned throw pillows, blankets, rugs, or colorful paintings.

Go green. Not just literally the color, but with global warming an ever pressing issue, it would be beneficial for everyone if we all try to be more environmentally conscious when designing our home. This is possible by using eco-friendly wallpaper, taking out old decorations (vintage!) and reusing old furniture by reupholstering them.

Give walls a makeover.Bring life to boring white walls with a splash of paint. Create patterns with wallpaper, or be creative with your curtains. This alone will make a lot of difference!

Why not do it yourself?Anything is more possible than ever, now that we have Google to help us out. Search for DIY projects online and get crafty and productive by creating your own works or designs! Check out these 100 creative DIY projects for ideas!

Have fun with the details.Renovating or redesigning your home can be a costly, time-consuming thing. You can always start small, subtle, and simple. Changing the knobs on your dresser, getting a funky new vase, or even switching up your curtain pull can be a nice, refreshing eye-catcher.

Hi guys! It’s almost the weekend again! I’m closing off this week with a new listing! I just posted it on the market and I’m really excited to get it sold! It’s a beautiful property, so I hope there will be takers soon!

The house is 211 Crocket Ln in Cross Junction, Virginia. It’s a new, colonial-type home constructed just two years ago. It’s surrounded by woods of over 10 acres so you have a lovely view of the trees and you get to have a mini-forest all to yourself! That’s certainly a lot of space to move around in! The exterior is classic and simple, but the interiors are wide and installed with the latest upgrades for your convenience.

Polished hardwood floors in the main level, and as you can see in the picture above, a lovely tub in the master bath. Walk-in closets, steam showers, a therapy tub and even heated towel bars! You can live in the lap of luxury in this big, gorgeous home.

The kitchen has granite counters and is equipped with double ovens. All rooms are spacious and perfect for parties. Four entire bedrooms and three and a half baths to suit your family’s needs. Aside from the second floor, the house also has a wide attic and basement that can even serve as a workshop. The garage holds up to three cars and equipped with automatic doors. With over 10 acres in the property, horses and other livestock are allowed! Imagine riding on horseback through those lovely woods!

If you are interested in viewing this property or if you’d like more information, feel free to email me at howard@reliablehomesales.com or sign up on my website here.

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! I thought I’d start off this week with a little post on personal finances. With the new year just starting I’m sure all of us have our own resolutions that we’d like to work on, and for families and homeowners I’m sure managing your budget for lesser costs is something we all want to see fulfilled.

I read a helpful article on Yahoo! Homes on five simple ways that homeowners can jumpstart their way in cutting costs.

#1: Refinance Your Mortgage

Mortgage is arguably the biggest monthly expense that most homeowners have. Did you know that it’s possible to cut it down by several hundred dollars? With low interest rates, your mortgage could be as low as 3.34%, according to Freddie Mac. Refinancing and proper calculation is key to having a low mortgage, which a professional will be able to help you with.

#2: Bundle Your Cable, Internet, and Phone

It’s a no-brainer that buying by the bulk saves money. The same goes for cable, internet, and phone–which a lot of companies offer in the same package. If you have different providers for these three, it’s a practical move to switch to a service that can offer all.

#3: Re-shop Homeowners Insurance

Investing in insurance for your home is always wise, but it also never hurt to look around and see what other insurance companies have to offer. They may all look the same, but browsing around can make a big difference in your insurance premium. Get at least three price quotes. Don’t choose for price alone. You want a company with a good and efficient reputation. Also, some insurance companies will reduce your premium by 5-15% if you buy two or more insurance policies from them.

#4: Make Your Home Safer

Have you been thinking about installing an alarm system, putting on a new roof, or setting up storm shutters for your home? If so, these upgrades could also save you money on your homeowners insurance. In relation to tip #3, you can get discounts of up to 20% for installing various security systems beforehand.

#5: Make Your Home Greener

Not in the garden kind of sense, but installing energy efficient systems for your home that will help you save up on water and electricity, such as low-flow toilets or programmable thermostats. Not only do you lessen your bills, you also prolong the life of your appliances.

I hope these pointers were of help somehow! Follow my blog here on WordPress for more home management articles in the near future!